Game Over
by EnsorcelledReader
Summary: This is a request fulfillment for Sydendless from AO3. Karkat and Kanaya from the Game Over timeline meet up in the dream bubbles and talk.


Karkat materialized into the primary room of his hive. He was screaming and it took him about ten seconds to realize he wasn't writhing in that hot, scalding lava anymore. He huffed, checking his chest for wounds that of course weren't there anymore and looked around. What happened? Thinking through the events leading up to his current circumstance he pieced together that he died by Gamzee's hands while trying to protect Terezi; boy did he fuck that up. He was caught somewhere between anger and relief…and disappointment. He was angry with himself for not performing better. He had to have only lasted about five seconds in battle before he died. And _he_ wanted to be a threshecutioner, just another fiasco in his long list of failures. Even now the universe only wanted to see him suffer; WHY DID HE HAVE TO LIVE THIS FUCKING AFTERLIFE WITH HIS FUCKING PATHETIC MISTAKES?! He didn't want to meet up with the other ghosts, he didn't want to deal with any of them; face any of them. Still…there was a little relief in knowing he wasn't the alpha Karkat. He had kind of seen the alpha timeline as a best case scenario and the idea that his best case scenario resulted in a clusterfuck of his quadrants and general worthlessness made his stomach churn. He may have fucked up royally; but it didn't ultimately matter; his debacle didn't mean a god damned thing. Which now leaves him in the depths of despondence. Why couldn't he have been the primary Karkat? Why couldn't he…maybe…succeed at something? Just this once? Maybe he could've been one of those characters that goes through a bunch of personal bullshit, but comes out a hero? Or at the very least…not dead?

Karkat stayed there, sitting on his floor, for a long time. How long he didn't really know; there's no real way to keep track of time in this place. A day? Maybe two? He hoped that everyone else survived; that he was the only one to die; even if it was a doomed timeline, he'd prefer it if everyone didn't die in one over the top traumatic incident.

Sometime later (another day?), the troll heard a knock at his door. "Door's open." Embroiled in his own self-loathing and rumination he couldn't bring himself to stand. Kanaya stepped in and silently walked over and sat next to him. "You died too?"

"Almost everyone did; it was an absolute catastrophe."

"How long did you stay alive?" His voice barely above a whisper. Part of him wanted her to leave; the other part was curious; not only of what happened; but the look of worry that adorned her face.

"I died almost immediately after you; but I talked with a few of the others. No one really lasted any longer than a few minutes after the others. I think the length between your death and the final death…which I believe was Rose; was only about five minutes."

"Who survived?"

"John, Roxy and Dave's brother. At least, that's what I've been able to gather."

"…Wait, why aren't you with Rose?"

"…." Kanaya looked away, but Karkat was able to descry tears at the corners of her eyes. He extended his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer to him. Rubbing her shoulder in the most comforting way he could muster, he waited patiently for her to speak. This, this was always the thing that made him feel a little better about himself. He liked comforting people; be it with words or gestures or actions. It made him feel like he wasn't a complete waste of skin.

"As soon as I materialized in this place…I-I went looking for R-rose." A choked sob cut her off. The knight continued his ministrations until she was able to regain her voice. "I found her and we talked for a bit…I invited her to stay with me…and…" A pause. Karkat couldn't help but picture the possible scenarios after she told Rose. The human didn't seem like the type to play around or suddenly become noncommittal or dump someone out of the blue; but death can change a person. The very thought incensed Karkat and he wanted to go give Rose a piece of his mind; but he was interrupted by Kanaya resuming her monologue. "S-she disappeared. I don't know where she is. I think somehow she was wiped from this place. I've been searching for the past few days and I've found countless other Roses, but not mine. Not the one that was on the meteor with us for years."

"…I think she's still out there. I've yet to hear of anyone disappearing from this place."

"You think so?" Her voice shaking and high pitched, her tone uncontrolled in her grief.

"Yeah." For the first time in months Karkat could feel a smile spread across his face. He leaned down without thinking and kissed her on top of her head. Shocking Kanaya just a little; she liked it though, and snuggled against him more.

"Say, why didn't we ever have morallegiance on the meteor?" Despite her sadness she felt a budding kernel of warmth inside her chest from Karkat's words.

"Well, there was that period of time where I was Gamzee's pale bitch. And then…I don't know, I was too focused on competing with Dave I guess."

"Did you hate being in a pale relationship with Gamzee?"

"Well, I never really enjoyed it, that's for sure. I didn't want another friend dead..and that was the way to solve it. Still felt awful being dumped though."

"Hmm…you know, you really were a good leader."

Karkat scoffed "Yeah, I got everyone killed; good fucking job."

"YOU didn't get anyone killed; it was a doomed timeline, it was out of your control." Karkat kept silent; but didn't agree with her. Kanaya knew this. "Think about it. You dragged Sollux's limp body to safety; you risked your life on several occasions throughout our game for the others, don't think I didn't notice; and you forced yourself into a pale relationship you didn't actually want for the betterment of the whole. You were a good leader Karkat."

Karkat still disagreed; but having someone see that much good in him was nice. Even If it was only this one person; even if everyone else, including himself, saw him as a fuck up; with this one person beside him, he could handle the afterlife.

"Oh! As I was gathering information from our session; I ran into a couple different versions of you."

"Yeah, what about them?"

"Apparently, in many timelines; you and Dave Strider formed a strong flushed relationship. I was even able to discover that is true even in the alpha timeline."  
"WHAT?! ME AND STRI-DOUCHE?!"

"Yes, you two really make a cute couple. Maybe you should reach out to him?"

"Nah, I'm good. After the grand old time I had sorting through relationships during our time on the meteor; I'm not looking to enter into a bunch of relationships right away."

"What about this? What we're doing? This is pretty pale."

"I've always had pale feelings for you; I had given them up though to keep Gamzee pacified and after that…it just felt like it was too late."

"See? Good leader, sacrificing your wants and desires for the benefit of others. Still, you didn't answer my question. If you're not looking to get into relationships right now; why are you expressing such pale love for me?"

"Because I hate seeing my friends upset…and …I guess I'm making an exception."

Just then there was an urgent rapping on his hive door. The two separated and Karkat; feeling better, stood up and opened the door. He was surprised to find Tavros there…in a Pupa Pan costume. "Um…hey, I'm gathering ghosts to go fight Lord English…you want to help?"

Karkat looked back at Kanaya; she nodding, a smirk playing across her face and a twinkle of bloodlust in her eyes.

"Fuck yes."

 _ **Notes: So, since Rose was resurrected via a kernelsprite I think she would have disappeared from the dream bubbles and since their relationship in the GO timeline was described as codependent, I figured Kanaya would panic a little.**_


End file.
